


Interrogation

by Inell



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Drama, Harry Potter Next Generation, Not Epilogue Compliant, Post-War, Romance, The Quidditch Pitch: Eternity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-16
Updated: 2008-12-16
Packaged: 2018-10-26 08:06:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10782840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inell/pseuds/Inell
Summary: It's tea timeWorth the Risk #36





	Interrogation

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Annie, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Quidditch Pitch](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Quidditch_Pitch), which went offline in 2015 when the hosting expired, at a time I was not able to renew it. I contacted Open Doors, hoping to preserve the archive using an old backup, and began importing these works as an Open Doors-approved project in April 2017. Open Doors e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Quidditch Pitch collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thequidditchpitch/profile).

Hermione spends Sunday morning taking advantage of an empty house in order to stay in bed a little late so she can enjoy the fun of waking up with Teddy. Once they finally roll out of bed and shower, he goes home to get a few things done while she catches up on her correspondence and does chores. Since they’re having tea with Andromeda in the afternoon, Hermione makes herself a sandwich for an early lunch and eats while she writes letters.

When Teddy returns, it’s early afternoon, and she’s still trying to finish answering her mail. She tries to keep up with it weekly, but as the number of nieces and nephews who write grows and adds to the usual friends-on-holiday mail, that's getting harder. Besides that, she has her routine mail. There are letters from Neville every week, one from Luna every two weeks, and Rose writes twice a week. Albus generally writes to her once a week, which is far more regular than the other children, and Charlie usually writes to her once a month to keep in touch and ask about Hugo and Rose.

Teddy gives her a kiss but doesn't hamper her progress, picking up a book and lying on the sofa to read while she finishes her tasks. Once she’s written the last letter, she arranges everything in regard to distance and location. It’ll take a while for everything to get delivered, of course, but she likes to send out the closest letters and then the ones that will require a longer flight. She picks up the letters to Hogwarts, because those rate above anyone else regardless of distance, and goes outside to Cliodna’s cage.

After her owl is flying away, she goes back inside. “I'm glad that's finished. My hand is cramping,” she tells Teddy as she rubs her wrist.

“That’s a lot of mail.” He lowers the book and glances at her writing desk. “No wonder your hand hurts.”

“You’re supposed to offer to massage my wrist or at least kiss it better.” She smiles as she walks to the sofa and sits beside him.

“Am I?” He grins and pushes his reading spectacles up the bridge of his nose. “Sorry, I had no idea there was expected behavior for such a comment. Perhaps you can make a list, just so I don’t miss any future opportunities to kiss your body parts.”

“I do like lists,” she murmurs, watching his hair flash green as he sets his book down and reaches for her. She smiles. “Anytime you finish reading, you’re supposed to kiss my neck. Right here.”

He arches a brow and looks at where she’s pointed. “Something else I didn’t know. Since I do enjoy reading quite a lot, I’m glad you told me this one.” He leans forward and licks her neck slowly before he presses his lips against the spot that makes her tummy clench. Another kiss follows, then another as he makes his way along her jaw.

“Oh!” She’s so focused on his lips that she’s surprised when he slides his hand beneath her shirt. He traces her ribs with light caresses before he reaches her breast.

“I think you missed part of that rule,” he tells her. “The part where I’m also supposed to do this,” he squeezes her breast and rubs her bra over her nipple, “whenever the book I’ve finished reading is a romance.”

“I guess I did.” She reaches up and grips his hair as she kisses him. He groans and pulls her onto his lap, deepening the kiss while she straddles him. When she pulls back from the kiss, she arches towards him and lets her head fall back so he can kiss her neck. She feels him push her shirt up before he licks her nipple through the cotton of her bra.

“Moving ahead a few rules. I’m sure there’s one that says this.” He nips at her breast and grips her bum as he rocks up against her. “God, you make me so bloody crazy.”

“You too,” she admits, looking down at him and caressing his cheek. “I don’t even know why, much less understand it. I haven’t been this physical in more years than I care to remember.”

“It’s not something you need to understand or analyze, Hermione. Just go with it and stop thinking so much.” He grins up at her. “Besides, we’ve already discussed my lack of experience with this sort of thing, so it’s safe to say that this is new for both of us. Well, not new for you but no longer so forgotten.”

“You might not have the practical experience, but you’re a bloody faster learner, Lupin.” She watches him smirk and tries to scowl at him. “You’re also at an age where you’d probably get aroused watching paint dry, whereas I’m nearing forty and having the urge to snog you constantly or to rip your clothes off and ride you at random intervals probably isn’t that normal.”

“If it’s not, it should be,” he says with a cheeky smile. “Just so you know, I have no objections at all if you want to make that our norm. And, for the record, the only way watching paint dry would arouse me is if it was that body paint stuff and I was being artistic with your body.”

She has to laugh, shaking her head as she leans down to kiss him again. “You’re definitely crazy, Teddy.”

“I’d say that I’m crazy for you, but that even makes _me_ cringe in the sheer corniness of it.”

“It is rather clichéd.”

“See, I know that you’re not the type to smile a soppy smile and think it’s romantic when I sound like a tosser, even if I can’t always stop myself.”

“Some women like poetry and sentimental words. Others like expensive jewelry and roses. My idea of romance is just more sensible, like dinner cooked and waiting when a meeting runs late or wet towels being put into the hamper and not left on the floor.”

“There’s nothing wrong with sensible, but I happen to want to buy you flowers for no reason at all. Not roses, but wildflowers maybe. I also want to tell you how being with you makes me feel, even if I sound sappy, and read you romantic nonsense, if only to hear you snort and mutter about how silly it all is.” He brushes his knuckles against her cheek and jaw. “I want to make you happy, like you make me happy.”

She looks at him as she brushes her fingers through his burnt orange hair. No one has ever said anything quite like that to her before, and she has no idea how to reply. He looks so earnest and sincere, but also so very young and optimistic. She isn’t naïve or foolish and knows the world doesn’t have much use at all for sentimentality, but she also knows that he deserves for her to be honest, even if she has no idea what exactly it all means.

After a moment, she brushes her lips against his. “You do,” she whispers against his lips, resting her forehead against his as she just listens to him breathe. She sighs. “It’s nearly time for tea, so we should probably be going.”

Teddy nods even as he moves his fingers into her hair and pulls her back down for another kiss. He nibbles on her bottom lip before he slowly deepens the kiss. By the time she pulls away, her lips are swollen and wet, and he’s looking at her as if he’s tempted to cancel on his grandmother. “Now that I’ve word-I-can’t-do-during-Tea you, I guess we can go. Do we really have to? I can send her an owl with some excuse.”

"That she wouldn't believe," Hermione finishes. "I was tempted to play sick earlier, but your grandmother is expecting us, so we have to go, even if I'd rather stay here snogging on the sofa."

They stand up, and she fusses with her shirt and trousers, hating that she’s so fidgety when it’s just Andromeda, whom she’s known for twenty years now, albeit not in the context of ‘grandson’s lover’. That new title makes things much different, so she has no idea what to expect. Andromeda is a kind woman, but she’s also haughty, clever, and protective, perhaps overly so at times, of Teddy.

“Stop worrying. There’s no need to be nervous,” Teddy reassures her. “It’s just Gram. She likes you, and she knows how I feel about you. It’ll be fine.”

“She might have liked me before, but now I’m the older woman who seduced her grandson. It’s not the same at all.”

“You wicked harlot, you. Poor defenseless Teddy unable to defend himself from the advances of the sexy older woman who is after him for his fit body and ruggedly handsome face. Woe, whatever will he do now that he’s fallen into her clutches and become her willing, and able, sex toy?”

“Be serious,” she says, swatting his arm as he makes fun of her.

“What? I’m just following your example.”

“No, you’re not. You’re making my concerns into a joke and laughing at me. One is not the other.”

“I’m not laughing at you, Hermione. It’s more like I’m laughing with you.”

“Only I’m not laughing.”

“See, there’s where we run into the problem. You should be happy, not anxious. Gram won’t poison your tea, and, if she tries to hex you, I’ll be brave and step in front of it. Unless it involves warts, because those things always bother me.”

“It is possible to be happy and anxious at the same time, you realize.”

“Maybe. But it’s also a waste of mental energy that could be spent just being happy and enjoying the fact that we had a horrible week and now we’re being brave and doing this relationship thing. You might also remember that Gram mostly took your side in my talk with her.”

“She took my side when I ended things and kept it a secret. Her opinion might very well change a lot now that we‘re actually going to attempt this without hiding.”

“Well, we won’t know until we find out, I guess. I just hate seeing you so anxious.” He pauses. “I’m also scared, in a way, which is silly, I know.”

“You don’t have to be scared, Teddy.“ She squeezes his hand. “I faced Ron and Harry, so I can certainly face your grandmother. I won’t change my mind about us.”

He sighs. “It’s just---she has this uncanny way of making you think about things you didn’t consider, like with me last week, and I just don’t want her to do that with you so you decide that we’re not worth it.”

“Would those be worries I hear you talking about, Lupin?” she asks.

“Point. However, I’m not letting them control me or make me panicky, am I?”

“No, you aren’t.” She smiles and moves closer. “I think we’ve had enough procrastination. Let’s just go and get this over with. I need to be home by six when Ron brings Hugo back, after all.”

“I love it when you use big multi-syllable words,” he tells her with a leer before he pulls her against him and Apparates them to his grandmother’s house.

They arrive in the entry hall, and she swats at his hand when she realizes he’s gripping her bum. “Stop it,” she hisses.

“Oh, sorry,” he says in a tone that indicates it was totally intentional but he’s not going to admit it. “Must have slipped during the trip.”

“Slipped my ar---”

“Good afternoon, Teddy, Hermione,” Andromeda interrupts her. “I’m pleased that you were able to join me for tea today.”

“Afternoon, Gram.” Teddy winks at Hermione before smiling sweetly at his grandmother. He walks over to her and leans down to kiss her cheek. “Thanks for asking us over.”

“Hello, Andromeda.” Hermione isn’t sure if she should try to shake her hand or curtsy or just stand awkwardly as all her manners fail her at the moment. The latter wins.

“Are you all right, dear? You look very flushed,” Andromeda says dryly, eyeing her suspiciously.

“I’m fine.” She glances at Teddy, who doesn’t seem to notice anything’s wrong at all. Okay. Maybe Andromeda isn’t looking at her suspiciously, but Hermione’s sure she intends to soon.

“It’s, uh, probably just the Apparating,” Teddy suggest. “Or she’s excited about tea. Um, right. That’s probably it. Did you make those cucumber sandwiches that I love?”

“Excited?” Andromeda repeats slowly, smirking slightly. “Oh, yes, I’m sure that’s it. So very observant, Teddy.” She pats his cheek and nods towards the front parlor. “Sandwiches are in there. Shall we go have tea?”

If it’s possible to create a spell on the spot that will allow her to fall through the floor, Hermione hopes she can think fast. Andromeda is looking at her with that knowing ‘certainly not excitement over _tea_ ‘ smirk and Teddy is being a typical man, thinking with his stomach instead of noticing how bloody awkward this situation is. “Tea would be lovely,” she says. She follows Andromeda into the parlor and sits in an uncomfortable chair with a hard seat and wooden back.

The Tonks home isn’t particularly large or unwelcoming. It’s actually rather cozy and warm, just the right size for a small family, but the furnishings in the parlor often remind her of Grimmauld Place, with their uncomfortable severity and antique appearance. It’s definitely a room decorated by a Black, whereas the rest of the house shows an influence from Teddy and the Andromeda who turned her back on such formality.

“Did you have a good day yesterday, Gram?” Teddy asks as he sits on the sofa and sprawls out.

“Yes, quite.” Andromeda plays the part of hostess perfectly, pouring their tea and passing around a plate of dainty sandwiches. “It’s always pleasant to see my friend, so lunch stretched long into the afternoon.”

Teddy makes a slight face and shifts. “I’m, uh, glad you had a good lunch.” He sips his tea and looks at her. “We had a good lunch, too. At a pub in the village where Hermione lives.”

“A Muggle village?” Andromeda arches a brow. “How quaint.”

“Yes, a Muggle village. It’s really very charming,” Hermione says, trying to figure out if ‘friend’ is a euphemism for something else. She’s never heard any rumors about Andromeda and Teddy certainly hasn’t mentioned anything, but it could always be a new attachment. It’s not being nosy, she decides, just being curious.

“We also went to the supermarket, which is a bloody nightmare on a Saturday.” Teddy shakes his head, hair fading to turquoise as he smiles. “And there was a trip to the butcher and the vegetable stand and then we went shoe shopping.”

“It sounds like you had a very busy day, Teddy.” Andromeda smiles pleasantly even as her intense gaze rests on Hermione. “How domestic it all is.”

“Saturday is my day to run errands, and Ted wanted to come along,” Hermione explains in a slightly defensive tone.

“It was fun,” Teddy says before he eats a sandwich.

Andromeda nods once. “Yes, I’m sure you enjoyed it. You always did like going shopping with me when you were a child.”

“Hugo is that way now.” Hermione struggles to make polite conversation despite feeling as if Andromeda is judging her and finding her completely lacking. “He likes spending time with me and having special days with just the two of us.” It occurs to her belatedly that she's just compared Hugo and Teddy. God, she hopes no one noticed. She takes a drink of her tea to prevent herself from talking.

“Enjoy it while you can, dear. Too soon, he’ll be grown up and moving on with his life.” Andromeda sips her tea. “They grow up so fast, it seems. One day, I was watching Teddy take his first steps and the next I was watching him move into his own flat.”

“With about eighteen years in between,” Teddy adds with a snort. “Hugo’s a great kid.”

“He’s brilliant,” Hermione says, relieved that her previous slip-up wasn't obvious. “As is Rose. I’m very fortunate to have them both.”

“And do you want more children, dear?” Andromeda asks. “You’re not as young as you once were, but I imagine you’ve a few more good years left.”

“Gram!” Teddy gapes and blushes as he looks at Hermione and then back at his grandmother.

“What? I would eventually like great-grandchildren, so it’s a valid question to ask the woman you’re currently involved with,” Andromeda says simply.

“It’s much too soon to think about that stuff. And, if we reach a point when we _do_ discuss it, it’s our business, not anyone else’s,” Teddy tells her firmly. “Now stop being rude.”

“I haven’t given it any thought,” Hermione speaks up, smiling slightly at Teddy in gratitude for him answering his grandmother’s prying question. She looks at Andromeda and arches a brow. “However, I do have several ‘good years’ left, so there isn’t any need to consider the matter in the immediate future.”

“Well, I suppose that’s sufficient for now. You’ve not ruled out the possibility of more children, so your reproductive parts are obviously in good working order,” Andromeda muses. She holds up a hand when Teddy starts to speak. “Now, dear, do stop your words of outrage. Hermione is a mature woman, not a silly little girl who will feel threatened by honest questions.”

“It takes a lot more for me to feel threatened, Andromeda,” Hermione agrees with just a hint of challenge. Her earlier nervousness has given way to strength, and she’s ready for just about anything Andromeda throws at her.

“See? Now stop your fretting and run along to look at the garden for me. I’d like to have a chat with your paramour,” Andromeda decides.

“But---”

“It’s fine, Ted,” Hermione reassures him. He looks at her for a minute before he slowly nods.

“Okay. I won’t be long, though,” he warns as he sets down his teacup and stands. He leans down and kisses Hermione lightly. “If she gets awful, don’t hex her with anything permanent, okay?” He grins at her before he looks at his grandmother. “And you, be nice.”

“Hmph. He says that as if I’m not always nice,” Andromeda mutters as he leaves the room.

“Perhaps he knows you better than you realize,” Hermione suggests innocently.

Andromeda focuses on her and her lip curls up slightly. “Perhaps he does, at that,” she grants. “Now that we’re alone, dear, we need to talk. I have little doubt that my grandson won’t rush through the garden to get back here, believing you to be in need of a protector or some other romantic nonsense, so we don’t have very much time.” She pauses. “I would think that he realized that you, above most women I’ve ever met, are not defenseless or weak.”

“I’m sure that he’s aware of my ability to protect myself. However, he does have sentimental ideas at times, so I agree that time is probably limited.”

“He gets that from his grandfather,” Andromeda says with a faint smile. “My Ted was quite the dashing hero, and he liked to run about believing that he was saving or protecting me, despite my certainly not needing it. Fortunately for you, Teddy is observant and aware of your strength. I think it must be part of what appeals to him, as it comes with age and experience.”

She shrugs one shoulder. “It’s possible. He’s certainly observant, knowing things about me that I might not always even admit to myself.”

“He is smitten with you, dear,” Andromeda says bluntly. “In a way that I’ve not witnessed with any other female in his life, which is why I’m concerned. I knew that his relationship with Victoire Weasley would not be long-lasting because she never suited him, nor he her.”

“I can understand you being concerned,” Hermione tells her honestly. “I was and am, actually, about many things.”

“You were unexpected. Oh, I was fully aware of his infatuation with you when he was a teen. I even arranged for you to give him that uncomfortable talk about sex with the hope that it would make him feel awkward around you and quickly end the crush before he set himself up to be hurt.” Andromeda shakes her head slightly. “It seems that my scheme didn’t work the way I intended; it simply put things off for a few years.”

“There’s nothing wrong with having a crush, Andromeda. It’s part of growing up,” Hermione points out, trying to deal with the revelation that the sex talk several years ago had been manipulated by Andromeda for a reason.

Andromeda looks at her steadily and asks, “What are your intentions with my grandson, Hermione?”

“My intentions?” Hermione blinks and sips her tea just to have something to do with her hands while she tries to figure out what exactly Andromeda is asking.

“When it was a clandestine arrangement, I assumed it was either merely for physical gratification or that you had fears preventing it from ever being anything more,” she says. “I could support the latter because I know about being in a position where you must put other things above your own personal happiness. Unfortunately, I’ve had experience with that myself, and neither time has turned out perfectly in all regards. Not to mention my own daughter’s experience. Teddy comes from a line of people who seem destined to be happy only in secret.”

“It’s never been about the physical,” Hermione says tightly, blushing faintly at having to discuss such a thing with Andromeda. “I mean, that’s certainly enjoyable, but it’s not why we were originally hiding our relationship. My fears kept me from giving myself completely, and Teddy accepted that for a while.”

“Until he could no longer continue living in secret,” Andromeda concludes. She sighs and glances at her teacup. “He is fully aware what a life lived with such secrets can be like. Despite my best efforts to keep him out of my own private situation, it was impossible, so he has seen how such a relationship can be difficult and draining, even at the best of times.” She looks up and narrows her eyes. “I do not want that life for Teddy. When I was his age, I made the choice to stop the hiding and lost my family, my reputation, my life, but I had my Ted, so we made a new life for ourselves. It was never easy, yet I have no regrets for choosing love over duty.”

“Yes, I know. I’ve heard,” Hermione says softly. She feels slightly uncomfortable hearing Andromeda speak of her personal life because they’re not very close, even if they are friendly, and she feels like she’s hearing things she shouldn’t.

“I’m sure you have. The grand romance that ends in tragedy with my husband then my daughter being buried and leaving me with a baby and no idea what to do with my life. You were so caught up with healing and recovering from what everything you and your friends did that I doubt you heard the whispers and nasty gossip that spread during that time. My sister, Bellatrix, kills my daughter only to die at the hands of a Weasley. My other sister, Narcissa, selfishly manipulates her way around the justice system to ensure freedom for her and her family, a husband who belongs in Azkaban and a son who made stupid choices. It didn’t matter that my name is Tonks, that I was cast out of that family decades ago, that I never believed in that nonsense or followed their rules. I am a Black, I’ll always be a Black, and many in this world can never forget that.”

Hermione frowns and nods. “I remember hearing things, but none of us let such talk go on around us. It was ridiculous then and it’s ridiculous now.” She isn’t sure what this has to do with her and Teddy, unless Andromeda thinks she would care about Teddy being a Black.

“Unfortunately, this world isn’t made up entirely of you and your friends. The majority of people during that time needed symbols of hatred, and my family became one of them. I managed to shield Teddy from it, of course, but I knew what was being said and saw how people treated me despite my doing nothing wrong,” Andromeda continues. Suddenly, she pauses and looks at Hermione. “You have no idea why I’m telling you this, do you? I assure you that I’m not a dotty old woman who wants to ramble about the past. I’m actually confiding something in you that might explain my worries and Teddy’s fears that he can’t tell you about without breaking a promise to me. It isn’t fair to my grandson for me to put my own security above his happiness, so I’m going to tell you and make you promise to keep my secret, as well.”

“I wouldn’t betray a confidence,” Hermione tells her honestly. She’s intrigued now, thinking back over what’s been said and trying to make sense of it now that she’s aware there is actually a point to all this.

“Which is why I can trust you with this,” Andromeda says. “During this time, when the world was trying to recover and rebuild, I met a man. Actually, I’d met him before, but I was married and hadn’t paid him much attention. When we met again, the circumstances were different. I won’t go into the details because it’s impolite, but the first time our paths crossed after the war ended, we both needed to feel again, just briefly, and we indulged in a physical encounter with no expectations or strings. I had Teddy to look after, funerals to arrange, finances to figure out, and it was just overwhelming to be in my forties and have my entire life changed over the course of a few months, to lose everything and gain a grandson who needed me. I was alone and falling apart, even if I refused to admit it to anyone, and I craved that physical connection, no matter how temporary.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” she murmurs, listening and watching as Andromeda shifts and smiles slightly.

“Yes, well, my idea of temporary didn’t coincide with his, it seems. He noticed that I was barely keeping it together, and he insisted on helping. Despite my refusals, he became a friend as well as a lover. However, due to the state of the world and other circumstances, I refused to let our relationship be public. This world needed him, you see, and I’d placed love above duty once before only to lose everything. So, I insisted that any relationship remain our secret so that his career wouldn’t be jeopardized because of my family name and people’s skewed perceptions.”

_The world needed him_. Hermione frowns in thought as she sips her tea. Her eyes widen as she puts the pieces of the puzzle together. Oh, bloody hell.

Andromeda sighs and runs her finger along the rim of her teacup. “For twenty years, we’ve continued our secret affair. He asks constantly if we can just go out for dinner where people will see, but I’m so used to it now that I’m scared to disturb the routine. It has been difficult, years of frustration and hiding, and Teddy’s seen that, along with the happiness and joy that Kingsley brings to my life.”

“I had no idea,” she whispers. It’s unbelievable that the Minster of Magic has been having an affair for nearly twenty years without the papers finding out, but she knows that it’s possible if caution and care are taken. This explains a lot, from Kingsley’s bachelorhood to Andromeda’s desire to stay out of the society spotlight to Teddy’s insistence that they not hide their relationship for long.

“If you had, we’d not have done a very good job at keeping it secret,” Andromeda says with a slight smile. “There are times, more as I get older, when I find myself wondering how things would have been different if I’d not insisted on secrecy. I love Kingsley, dear, and he loves me. We chose our life, so we make do as best as we can with the circumstances. However, I do not want Teddy to be forced into choosing this life or losing someone he cares about, even if I can understand your fears and concerns.”

“I’m not making him keep it a secret,” Hermione tells her. Before she can explain, Andromeda narrows her eyes and interrupts.

"Aren't you?" Andromeda asks. "I spoke with him last week when he was miserable and hurt, and he said that you fear your children's reactions as well as those of your friends. I've also heard from a very reliable source that you're in a position to advance in your department should an opportunity open, which makes another fear, I daresay."

"I do have concerns, especially about my children, but I can't very well live my life in fear." Hermione has to bite her tongue to keep herself from adding 'like you'.

"Fear is rather objective, dear. Compared to happy children and a gossip free workplace, I would think that keeping your private life a secret might seem a worthy sacrifice."

"It's not." She shakes her head slightly. “We talked on Friday, and I told him that I was prepared to take the chance. I didn’t want to hide anymore than he did; I was just too bloody scared to let myself care after the divorce. But I do care about him, a lot, and I‘m ready to try having a relationship, despite still having the natural worries and concerns.”

“Oh." Andromeda blinks at her and requires a moment before she speaks. "Goodness, I just assumed that I’d caught you Saturday morning after a physical encounter and hadn’t realized there had been a discussion that actually resolved issues.” She arches a brow. “I must apologize, I’m afraid, because I thought you’d both given in to the lust without actually talking about any of the issues.”

“Now, Gram. What have I told you about assuming?” Teddy asks as he enters the room. He smiles at Hermione, and she wonders how long he’s been lurking by the door. He crosses to Andromeda’s chair and leans down to kiss her cheek. “You okay?”

“Yes, well, forgive me for seeing clothes strewn all about the place and doubting that much talking occurred,” Andromeda scolds. “And I’m perfectly fine, you silly boy. Quit hovering about like I’m a frail butterfly and sit.”

“Yeah, you’re okay.” He sits back down and glances at Hermione. “I wanted to explain, to tell you, but it wasn’t my secret to discuss. Kingsley is a good man, and he’d make an honest woman out of her if she’d stop being such a stubborn old---”

“You’ll want to stop right there, dear, or Hermione will be forced to look the other way while I hex you.”

“It’s fine, Teddy. I understand,” Hermione says honestly. She looks at Andromeda, who is smiling and looks far less frightening now. “Thank you for confiding in me.”

“Are you fine with us?” Teddy asks Andromeda as he reaches for Hermione’s hand and squeezes. His dark purple hair falls across his forehead as he stares at his grandmother. “I know it’s not conventional and that it won’t be easy. After our talk last week, I really thought about it a lot. It’s just---she’s amazing, you know? And she makes me feel like I haven’t ever felt before, so I can’t _not_ try, even if there are no guarantees.”

Andromeda glances at Hermione before she focuses on Teddy. “There are never any guarantees in life, Teddy. Your entire life can change in an instant, as you know. It isn’t conventional, but I think it’s commendable that you’re both willing to take the chance, especially when you’re aware of the difficulties you‘ll likely face. I won’t lie and say that I approve without reservation. I would prefer that you had found someone who you could be with without having to face adversity and so many concerns. However, you didn’t, so it’s moot. All I want is for you to be happy, my dear boy, so, yes, things are fine, I suppose.”

“Good.” Teddy seems to relax as he moves his fingers along her palm. His hair changes to turquoise as he smiles at her. “Have you tried one of the sandwiches yet? They’re really good.”

“No, I haven’t had the chance,” she says, accepting a sandwich from him as Andromeda smoothly moves from serious talk to questions about the garden. Her mind is still reeling from everything Andromeda told her and also from the realization that she’s relieved they have his grandmother’s approval, as silly as it sounds. The cucumber sandwich is actually pretty good, despite not being a particular favorite, so she nibbles on it and sips her tea while listening to Teddy talk to his grandmother.

By the time she's finishes her sandwich, she feels more relaxed, though not entirely comfortable. Andromeda is warm to Teddy, smiling and teasing in her way, but she's not as friendly with Hermione. It's understandable, of course, as she can't even imagine how she'd react if it were Hugo or Rose in Teddy's place. Their happiness would be important to her, but she'd also be unable to believe that everything was wonderful and not dwell on the issues facing her child.

With that in mind, she tries harder to participate in the conversation. She normally doesn't have problems talking with Andromeda, so she focuses on behaving normally instead of acting like a guilty teenager caught snogging by a parent. It helps, and the remainder of the tea passes much better than the first half.

Teddy looks at her and smiles before he puts his cup and plate back on the tray. "It's been great, Gram, but we should probably get home. Ron's bringing Hugo back soon, so Hermione needs to be there."

"It was a lovely afternoon, Andromeda," Hermione tells her. She gets up and smiles. "Thank you for having us over."

"It was my pleasure, dear." Andromeda stands. "Teddy, there's a tin of extra sandwiches in the kitchen for you. If you'd like to run and get it, I'll escort Hermione into the hallway."

"Sure," he says, looking from one to the other cautiously before he leaves the room.

"I love my grandson a great deal, Hermione," Andromeda tells her casually as they walk out of the room. She moves closer and smiles pleasantly. "If you deliberately hurt him, I'll ensure that you learn the true meaning of suffering. Now, do come for tea again soon. I'd love to see Hugo and Rose again."

Hermione blinks and almost convinces herself that she imagined the threat. But she knows she didn't, so she nods. "Understood." She looks over as Teddy joins them before looking back at Andromeda. "I'll bring the children for tea some time during the summer. I'm sure they'd enjoy seeing you, too."

End Chapter 36


End file.
